Style

A Simple Closet Refresh for Every Season

Have you been feeling a bit blah with your outfits lately? Like everything you wear doesn’t really represent who you are. You may even catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and wonder, “who is that woman wearing that below the knee, color blocked shift dress”? If this is the case, it’s time to get into your wardrobe for a closet refresh.

A closet refresh doesn’t have to be a huge ordeal like some Marie Kondo experience of decluttering your life away. I find many of my styling clients only need a simple update this time of year to get aligned with the spirit of Fall — you know, new season / new year — that whole thing.

To get started, carve out some ME time when you’ll be able to commit to your closet for at least an hour. Grab a glass of wine or a green juice to help relax into the situation. Remember, this is no big deal. It’s about you reconnecting to your best style — so no judgments, agreed?

Go to the back of your closet, and pull out 10 items that you haven’t seen in ages. I like to start in the back because this is often where the hidden gems are lurking as well as the stuff that needs to be given away.

Now try on these pieces. Be totally honest with yourself when answering the following questions:

1. Does it fit?
This refers to the actual fit, as in sizing. Are the sleeves too short? (I actually don’t mind rolling sleeves up if they’re too short – it adds a more laid back feel to a top.) Is the hem too long? (Tailor!) Are the shoulders too tight? (There’s no fix for this.)

Literally, size up the garment, and decide if it fits or not. And ladies, it needs to fit today. Not in two weeks after you finish your cleanse. You know what to do if it doesn’t fit anymore. If it still fits, put it aside. You’ll get back to it after you go through the other items, and answer the rest of the questions.

2. Does it fit in lifestyle?
Too often my clients hold onto something because they used to love it, and wore it all the time. Those amazing fringe stiletto boots from 10 years ago that served you so well when traipsing around the bar scene may have been right-on-the-money back then. But irrelevant now because you don’t do the bar scene anymore. Again, you know how to handle those items that no longer fit in lifestyle. Put the keepers aside.

3. Does it look good?
This is very straight forward. Does. It. Look. Good? It’s either yes or no. If there is any inkling of weirdness around the butt, near the bust, under the armpits, or anywhere, it doesn’t look good. Please don’t wear something that you know doesn’t look good! It doesn’t matter how much money you spent on it, or how much fun you used to have in it. Get rid of it.

After you’ve gone through the 10 items, it’s time to style the keepers back into your wardrobe.

Get creative as you go through your closet looking for pieces to put together. You may notice that some of those back-of-the-closet-items will work with each other. Score! Definitely try your new outfits on, and go through the round of questions one more time — especially #3.

Stay with the process until you’ve come up with a few new looks. Be curious and have fun! Play music that you love as this will help you tap into your true self, which is key to bringing out your best style. The goal is to reconnect to your wardrobe — see what you have, what you love, and what you want to wear that looks and feels like you.

Have you ever refreshed your own closet? If not, will you commit to it this weekend? Tell me how it goes in the comments below!